Bangladesh to contribute US$ 1.5mn to Saarc COVID-19 Emergency Fund

Staff ReporterBangladesh will contribute US$ 1.5 million to the Saarc Emergency Fund proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fight coronavirus (COVID-19) in the region.There are commitments from other countries too, an official told confirming Bangladesh's contribution.On March 15, Modi said the emergency fund could be based on voluntary contributions from all of them and India can start with an initial offer of US$10 million for this fund.Nepal will contribute US$1 million, Afghanistan US$ 1 million, Maldives US$ 200000 and Bhutan will contribute US$ 100000, said the official.The aim of the fund is to help any of Saarc nations meet the cost of emergent actions to combat this pandemic.Foreign Secretaries of the Saarc countries will finalize concept and operational rules.Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Modi proposed a strong strategy by South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) member countries to fight the coronavirus threat in South Asian region.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed Modi’s proposal and had constructive dialogue with her Indian counterpart and other heads of state and government and discussed way forward at this testing time for the region and the world.